Automatic tab inserting device for envelope forming machine



Sept. 16, 1959 B. E. HANSON 3,466,984

AUTOMATIC TAB INSERTING DEVICE FOR ENVELOPE FORMING MACHINE Filed June 28, 1967 ENVELOPE -'n5"' COUNTER l 5,; v w

d INVENTOR. V B ROR E. HAN 5ON Patented Sept. 16, 1969 U.S. Cl. 9393 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A supply of tab material in continuous strip form is fed between an intermittently driven roll and a frictlon wheel to form a loop of tab material. The lower end of the loop is passed through a fixed guide adjacent a continuously driven feed roll. A friction wheel is mounted adjacent the continuously driven feed roll on a reciprocable carriage, and movement of the carnage in one direction causes the tab material to be fed between said roll and said wheel while movement of the carriage in the opposite direction causes a movable blade on the carriage to sever the tab material to allow short segments thereof to drop, successively, between groups of newly formed envelopes discharged from the envelope mach1ne. An envelope counter on the machine can be preset to activate the device for predetermined numbers of envelopes.

Summary of invention This invention relates to devices for use with envelope making machines, and deals more particularly with a tab inserting mechanism capable of inserting narrow strips or tabs of paper between finished envelopes at predetermined times so as to mark off a given number of envelopes in order to facilitate the counting and packaging thereof.

The mechanism disclosed herein is described as adapted for use with the machine disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,612,088 issued on Sept. 30, 1952, to Vincent E. Heywood and entitled Closure Flap Folding and Envelope Stacking Mechanism for Envelope Machines. Whereas the mechanism is shown and described in relation to the above-mentioned machine, it will be understood that said mechanism could be used in combination with other stacking mechanisms operating upon similar principles.

The general object of the present invention is to provide an automatic tab inserting device for use in connection with machines for forming flattened articles such as envelopes.

The drawing shows a preferred embodiment of the invention and such embodiment will be described, but it will be understood that various changes may be made from the construction disclosed, and that the drawing and description are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a side elevational view partly in section of a tab inserting device constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing its relationship with the fiap folding rolls and the delivery roll of the type disclosed in the above-mentioned United States Patent No. 2,612,088.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the circuitry associated with the device shown in FIG. 1.

Detailed description of the drawing Referring now to the drawing in greater detail, FIG. 1 shows a conventional envelope delivery wheel 10, for delivering successive completed envelopes E from a pair of flap folding rolls 12, 12 to a stacking table 14. The operation of the folding and stacking mechanism is further described in the above-mentioned United States patent and need not be discussed in detail herein. The delivery wheel 10 will be seen to have three envelope recesses for moving envelopes therearound.

The circuitry shown in FIG. 2 is energized through an electronic counting system, indicated generally at 16, which operates from a photo-electric eye 18. The photoelectric eye may be conveniently located in a path of travel of the envelopes near the terminal portion of the flap folding mechanism, as diagrammatically indicated in FIG. 1. By varying a control on the electronic counter, the signal supplied to the FIG. 2 circuit may correspond to every ten, twenty-five, fifty or other convenient number of envelopes passing the eye 18.

A continuous supply of tab material is stored on a reel 20, which is rotatably supported in the fixed frame 21. The tab material extends horizontally therefrom to the left and under an idler roll 22 and around a friction, or pressure roll 24, the periphery of which urges the tab material against an intermittently driven feed roll 26. The friction, or pressure roll, 24 is rotatably supported on a stub shaft 25, which shaft is mounted on a lever which is spring-biased in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1 with a force which can be preset by positioning of the spring housing 30. The intermittently driven feed roll 26 is carried on a driven stub shaft 27, which driven shaft comprises the output shaft of an electric motor, indicated generally at 32.

It will be apparent that rotation of the motor shaft 27 through a predetermined angular displacement causes a loop of tab material to be formed as indicated in FIG. 1. In accordance with the present invention, circuit means is provided for energizing the electric motor 32, and rotating its associated shaft 27 through a predetermined angular displacement. The shaft 27 carries cam means for de-energizing the motor 32 after one complete revolution thereof. The normally closed limit switch 34 mounted below the intermittent feed roll 26 opens as a result of engagement with the cam 36 carried by the shaft 27. Since the motor 32 will continue to coast slightly even after being deenergized as a result of opening switch 34 it will be seen that the above-described mechanism will automatically reset itself during each cycle of operation. The electric signal for energizing the motor 32 comes from the above-mentioned circuit means to be described in greater detail hereinbelow.

The loop of tab material extends downwardly between two guide members 38 and 40, at least one of which is adjustable with respect to the other, by means of the screw 39, to vary the width of the opening therebetween. The lower guide member 38 is preferably disposed below the upper member 40, and has its upper end located adjacent the periphery of a continuously driven roll 50. The roll 50 is rotatably mounted immediately above the guide member 38 just described, and serves to advance the loop of tab material therebetween whenever a pressure roll 52 is brought into contact with the tab material. The roll 52 is located just above the guide member 40.

A motor 54 drives the continuous feed roll 50 through a belt drive indicated generally at 56. This motor 54 is continuously driven, as indicated in FIG. 2, whenever the device is operating and is mounted in the fixed frame of the device itself rather than on a movable carriage portion to be described.

An electric solenoid 58 has a fixed portion attached to the fixed plate 60 and a movable portion connected to a carriage 62 for movement of the carriage from the position shown to the left as viewed in FIG. 1. As indicated in FIG. 2, the solenoid 58 is energized by the envelope counter 16 discussed hereinabove and is de-energized by opening of the normally closed contacts associated with a limit switch 72 to be described. As mentioned above, the carriage is operated toward the left by the electric solenoid 58, and is returned to the right by the action of a spring 61 which operates when the solenoid 58 is de-energized,

The movable carriage includes a block 63, to which the spring 61 is attached, an upstanding link 64, and an L- shaped bar 66 connected to the upper end of the link 64. The left-hand end of the L-shaped bar 66 is adapted to trip the limit switch 72 when the solenoid 58 moves the carriage to the left. Thus, whenever the solenoid 58 is energized so as to move the carriage to the left, the limit switch 72 is actuated opening its normally closed contacts and de-energizing the solenoid to permit the spring 61 to return the carriage to the right to the position shown.

The right-hand end of the L-shaped bar 66 is connected through an adjustment screw 65 to a depending lever 68, which lever carries the pressure roll 52 associated with the continuously driven feed roll 50. Thus, as the carriage moves to the left, under the influence of the solenoid 58, the pressure roll 52 engages the loop of tab material and urges it into contact with the continuously driven feed roll 50 to advance a length of such tab material between the guide members 38 and 40 discussed hereinabove.

The carriage 62 is slida'bly received on one or more carriage guide rods 78, 78 fixed in the frame of the device, the block 63 being slidably received thereon as shown. The block 63 includes a lower portion which carries a knife blade 74 for severing the tab material during return movement of the carriage under the Influence of the spring 61. A fixed cutter block 76 mounted immediately below the lower guide member 38 cooperates with the knife blade 74 to provide a positive cutting action of the tab material after it has been advanced between the guide members 38 and 40. More particularly, the cutter block 76 defines a slot through which the tab material is advanced prior to being cut by return movement of the carriage.

While the operation of the above-described device has been considered in connection with its description it might be well to summarize briefly its overall operation with respect particularly to FIG. 2. As the envelope counter 16 and more particularly the electric eye produces a signal in response to a predetermined number of envelopes formed in the envelope machine, solenoid 58 is energized through the normally closed contacts associated with limit switch 72 causing the carriage 62 to move toward the left and causing pressure roll 52 to engage the loop of tab material and to permit the continuously driven feed roll 50 to advance a length of tab material between the guide members 38 and 40, and through the solt defined in the cutter block 76. When the carriage 62 has reached its limit of travel to the left, a normally open set of contacts associated with limit switch 72 will be closed, simultaneously with opening of its normally closed contacts. More particularly, these normally open contacts associated with the limit switch 72 energize the motor 32 for forming a loop of tab material. As described hereinabove the motor 32 is driven through one complete revolution to form a loop of tab material as depicted in FIG. 1. That is, when the cam 36 associated with the output shaft 27 of the motor 32 has traveled through one complete revolution, a limit switch 34 will be opened de-energizing the loop motor 32. At the same time, as solenoid is de-energized by opening of the normally closed contacts associated with limit switch 72, spring 61 acts upon the carriage 62 to return the same to its initial or rest position. Return motion of the carriage 62 will cause the knife blade 74 to cooperate with the slotted cutter block 76 to sever a length of tab material from the strip so that a tab drops behind an envelope just before or just after it reaches the stacking table 14.

I claim:

1. A tab inserting device for use with a machine for forming flattened articles such as envelopes wherein the articles are fed to a stacking station in generally aligned front to back relationship, said device comprising means for supporting a supply of tab material, an intermittently driven feed roll located adjacent said supporting means for forming a loop of tab material, means for driving said feed roll through a predetermined angular displacement, a continuously driven feed roll, a carriage mounted for movement at right angles to the path of said tab material past said continuously driven feed roll, a pressure roll on said carriage for engaging said continuously driven feed roll when said carriage is moved in one direction to advance said tab material therebetween, a knife blade mounted on said carriage for severing said tab material when said carriage is moved in an opposite direction, and means responsive to the forming of a predetermined number of such articles for moving said carriage first in said one direction and then in said opposite direction.

2. The combination according to claim 1 and further characterized in that said means comprises a solenoid for moving said carriage in said one direction, biasing means for urging said carriage in said opposite direction, and circut means responsive to movement of said carriage in said opposite direction and including a motor for rotating said intermittent feed roll.

3. The combination according to claim 2 and further characterized by cam means associated with said intermittent feed roll, and said circuit means including a limit switch associated with said cam means for de-energizing said feed roll motor after said feed roll has moved through one revolution.

4. The combination according to claim 3 and further characterized in that said circuit means includes a normally closed limit switch which opens when said carriage has moved in said one direction for de-energizing said solenoid and allowing said biasing means to return said carriage in said opposite direction.

5. The combination according to claim 1 and further characterized by a cutter block which cooperates with said knife blade on said carriage to define a slot through which said tab material can be fed during movement of said carriage in said one direction, and said block cooperating with said blade during movement of said carriage in said opposite direction to sever said tab material.

6. The combination according to claim 5 and further characterized by guide means for said tab material between said continuously driven feed roll and said cutter block for directing said tab material through said slot.

7. The combination according to claim 6 and further characterized in that said means for moving said carriage in said one direction comprises a solenoid, biasing means for urging said carriage in said opposite directon, and circuit means responsive to movement of said carriage in said opposite direction and including a motor for rotating said intermittent feed roll.

8. The combination according to claim 7 and further characterized by cam means associated with said intermittent feed roll, and said circuit means including a limit switch associated with said cam means for de-energizing said feed roll motor after said feed roll has moved through one revolution.

9. The combination according to claim 8 and further 5 characterized in that said circuit means includes a normally closed limit switch which opens when said carriage has moved in said one direction for de-energizing said solenoid allowing said biasing means to return said carriage in said opposite direction.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS BERNARD STICKNEY, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

